Wellbeing

Edinburgh Primary ~ a community school with a passion for the arts!

POLICY FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

At Edinburgh, we take a whole school approach to wellbeing which means we recognise that everyone has mental health and that mental health can vary from day to day.  To ensure our children can improve and enhance their wellbeing, we have adopted the Five Ways to Wellbeing. 

Here are FIVE things you can do today to enhance your wellbeing!

Connect: There is strong evidence that indicates that feeling close to and valued by other people is a fundamental human need and one that contributes to functioning well in the world.

It’s clear that social relationships are critical for promoting wellbeing and for acting as a buffer against mental ill health for people of all ages.

With this in mind, try to do something different today and make a connection.

• Talk to someone - ideally in person
• Speak to someone new 
• Ask how someone’s weekend was and really listen when they tell you
• Put five minutes aside to find out how someone really is

Be active: Regular physical activity is associated with lower rates of depression and anxiety across all age groups.

Exercise is essential for slowing age-related cognitive decline and for promoting well-being.

But it doesn’t need to be particularly intense for you to feel good - slower-paced activities, such as walking, can have the benefit of encouraging social interactions as well providing some level of exercise.

Today, why not get physical? Here are a few ideas:

• Take the stairs 
• Go for a walk
• Do Joe Wicks’ PE lessons, 9am every weekday on youtube Body Coach Tv
• Play a physical game like ‘tag’
• Do some ‘easy exercise’, like stretching every single day

Take notice: Reminding yourself to ‘take notice’ can strengthen and broaden awareness.

Studies have shown that being aware of what is taking place in the present directly enhances your well-being and savouring ‘the moment’ can help to reaffirm your life priorities. Heightened awareness also enhances your self-understanding and allows you to make positive choices based on your own values and motivations.

Take some time to enjoy the moment and the environment around you. Here are a few ideas:

• Get a plant for your house
• Sit quietly outside and listen to the environment
• When inside make sure you can see and hear nature as much as possible
• Have a ‘clear the clutter’ day
• Take notice of how your friends are feeling
• Take a different route on your walks
• Visit a new place for 

Keep Learning: Continued learning through life enhances self-esteem and encourages social interaction and a more active life. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the opportunity to engage in work or educational activities particularly helps to lift older people out of depression.

The practice of setting goals, which is related to adult learning in particular, has been strongly associated with higher levels of wellbeing.

Why not learn something new today? Here are a few more ideas:

• Complete the learning your teacher sets
• Find out something about your friends
• Sign up for a new online learning class or activity
• Read the news or a book
• Learn how to play a new game
• Research something you’ve always wondered about
• Learn a new word

Give: Participation in social and community life has attracted a lot of attention in the field of wellbeing research.

Individuals who report a greater interest in helping others are more likely to rate themselves as happy.

Research into actions for promoting happiness has shown that committing an act of kindness once a week over a six-week period is associated with an increase in wellbeing.

To recognise children who demonstrate healthy wellbeing behaviours, each month we award badges for children to wear proudly on their school uniform.